Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-05-13
Simplicity in Funerals.
Philadelphia Times.l

D
leading public journals to restrain
the excessive cost of funerals. the
expensive display in the burial OF
the dead is increasing rather than
diminishing. If this extravagant
and utterly Incorporating ex'
penditure in funerals was confined
to people of abundant means who
can afford any outlay on funeral
occasions, it would be a matter OF
little or no concern to the public
but so tar as there has been any
growth of simplicity in funerals, it
has been chiefly among the more
intelligent and opulent people,
while those who can least afford
extravagant funerals, are compelled
by what they regard as an imperl-
Gus custom, TO exhibit their ap-
probation OF their dead by the
wanton outlay Of money in their
burial.
A great funeral parade on the
burial of the private citizen is not
only unreasonable, but il fairly
crosses the line of vulgar display.
Grief for the dead is the most
sacred of the worlds many sorrows,
and it is the last thing that should
be paraded before the unsympa-
thetic multitude. Indeed, the
burial of the dead should be as far
removed as possible from the out
side world. The dead should be
sacred to the gaze and loving Of
fees nf those who mourn for them;
and there should he absolute ex.
clusion of the curious ldlers whose
presence so sadly jars the sanctity
of grief. SO ostentatious has be-
come the display of the merest
regulation respect for the dead,
that many of the death notices in
the public journals have added to
them the wise admonitIon-''Please
omit flowers" and many others
have the still better admOnltiOn-
"Interment private" These adj
monitions. forced by the love of
lavish display, teach the lesson that
all should learn, and the lesson
that would save thousands of poor
families from starvation or severest
sacrifice for months after funeral,
merely to crafty the vulgar taste
for vain pomp and idle ceremony
in the burial of the dead.
This tendency to parade and dis
play on funeral occasions is op-
presslve upon the largest portion
of citizens in every community, for
the majority of the people in every
city or nelghborhood are in moder-
ate or straitened circumstances
They feel compelled to initiate those
of fortune in OstentatiOus respect
for the dead, and, between costly
caskets, flowers, carriages, and
decking whole families in the
barbarOus habiliments Of woe,
they often involve themselves in
debts which they cannot pay or
must practice the. seyerest self
denial for months thereafter to de-
fray the cost of what is simply a
mockery of honest grief. 1t is not
only a needless oppression OF per-
sons of humble means, but 1t is
burlesque of the sincere sorrow
that IS felt for the dead. The as
sumption that love for the dead is
! exhibited in profuslon of costly
flowers, or in costly casket,
or in a long line of costly
carriages for idle lOOkers.on
A
r is simply farcicaI. 1t strips the
love for the dead of its holest Of
fees and transforms funeral into
the empty pomp Of Il vulgar parade
while it impoverishes many to the
verge of want.
There is every reason for sim
]. plicIty in funerals. Simplicity is
t the only thing that harmonizeS
with the grief of the the home thai
is shadowed by the angel of sor
row, and the ostentatious display
of bereavement under the fitful
regulations OF fashion oilends the
affectionate memory of the dead
r Let pulpit and press, and intelll
gent teachers of every class, unite
to bring into disfavor the oStenta
tious display of costly funerals ant
= costly fantastic mourning apparel
and the poor will not alone he pro
tected from needless and oppressive
T expenditure, but all will be protect
p ed from the vulgar pomp and cere
n mony which ever mock those who
t. sincerely mourn the loss of thei
it household gods.
Henry j. Peters died IN Mllwau